Starter and flywheel are grinding

Tiny
LUIS3
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 FORD EXPLORER
  • V6
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 170,000 MILES
The starter was installed about 11 months ago it was new not a rebuild. I went to start the car and it just grinds. It didn't crank over just a grind. I tightened up the starter thinking it may have come lose, and no change. Any advice? Please help! I can't afford a shop to look at it right now.
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016 AT 12:16 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
I'd have to visually check your starter and flywheel, see if the flywheel has any missing or badly worn teeth. If it is problem with bad flywheel teeth, sometimes you can rotate the flywheel to get the bad spot away from starter, then it will crank normally. Of course that doesn't fix the problem. Check the starter drive gear, is it badly worn? Some makes and models, you can use shims at the starter to get starter and flywheel teeth, to mesh properly. My biggest problem is I can't see anything from here.
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Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016 AT 12:33 PM
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
The old starter may have worn the teeth down on the ring gear and now the new starter is starting to slip, remove the starter and inspect the teeth on the ring gear first.
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Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016 AT 12:33 PM
Tiny
LUIS3
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thanks a lot for the advice. I'll pull the starter out and check it out.
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Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016 AT 1:29 PM

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